Scientific investigations are performed in the area of synthesis, chemical modifications and biological activity studies of the heterocyclic substances among 4-azolidone, 1,3-thiazane, thiazolothiopyran derivatives, introduction of innovational approaches to drugs design (QSAR-analysis, virtual screening, molecular modeling, molecular docking). They are the continuation of the scientific school of professors M. Turkevych, O. Vladzimirska and B. Zimenkovsky. Since 1946 students’ scientific group works at the department.

Main scientific achievements:

Six new drugs were introduced in medical practice at the department (penthabismol, dimexide, trichloroethylene for narcosis, diamiphene, fluorenizide, thiotriazoline). Over 100 author certificates on inventions are obtained. There were 27 Doctors of Sciences and over 100 Candidates of Sciences (PhDs) studied and defended their theses at the department. Joint scientific investigations with the group of Ukrainian and foreign scientific institutions allowed us to formulate the strategy of purposeful search of new potential drugs among the group of 4-azolidones and related heterocyclic systems. As a result of high-throughput and traditional pharmacological screening more than 200 “lead-compounds” have been identified with з anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-ischemic, cerebral-protective antimicrobial, antifungal and antituberculosis activities. For the 4-azolidone derivatives anticancer activity have been identified for the first time that shows the novelty and investigation priority of mentioned class of compounds. Advanced pharmacological studies of potential cerebroprotectants had been performed in collaboration with Dept. of Pharmacology of Lugansk State Medical University. New areas of nowel “drug-like” molecules search have been explored, namely search of antiviral and anti-trypanosomal agents. Using the materials of our investigations the row of monographs has been published, among which are “4-Thiazolidones. Chemistry, physiological action, perspectives ” (authors B.S. Zimenkovsky, R.B. Lesyk), as well as fundamental review “4-Thiazolidones: Centenarian History, Current Status and Perspective for Modern Organic and Medicinal Chemistry” (authors B.S. Zimenkovsky, R.B. Lesyk) in the journal “Current Organic Chemistry”, a series of original articles in foreign and Ukrainian journals, such as Bolletino Chimico Pharmaceutico, Scientia Farmaceutica, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Polish Journal of Pharmacology, Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica – Drug Research, Annals of Polish Chemical Society, Ukrainica Bioorganica Acta, Journal of pharmaceutical and organic chemistry (in Ukrainian), Pharmaceutical Journal (in Ukrainian) etc. Our research yielded in over 30 Ukrainian patents obtained for novel biologically active compounds and methods of their synthesis.

Scientific collaboration

National Cancer Istitute of National Institute of Health (Bethesda, Maryland, USA) under the screening program of anticancer activity for original compounds (Developmental Therapeutic Program). – http://dtp.nci.nih.gov

National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases of National Institute of Health (Bethesda, Maryland, USA) – screening of antituberculosis and antiviral activities under the TAACF and AACF programs. – http://www.taacf.org; http://www.aacf.org

Karol Marcinkowski Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poland) – agreement about joint research and young scientists exchange in the areas of the drugs search, anticancer activity and cytotoxicity assays of active compounds. – http://www.amp.edu.pl

Collegium Medicum of Jagellonian University (Krakow, Poland), Department of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs (prof. Katarzyna Kiec-Kononowicz) – joint research in the ares of search of new drugs amond group 4-azolidones. – http://www.cm-uj.krakow.edu.pl

Bioorganic chemistry is studied for the 1st year students of medical and dentistry faculties and for 2nd year students of pharmaceutical faculty. Organic chemistry is studied for the pharmaceutical faculty students of 2nd year. Pharmaceutical chemistry is studied at 3rd-4th years for the students of pharmaceutical faculty (“Pharmacy” direction).Medicinal chemistry is studied for the 3rd-4th years students of pharmaceutical faculty (“Clinical Pharmacy” direction).During the 4th and 5th year of pharmaceutical faculty tuition there are studied newly introduced courses “Standardization of drugs”, “Innovations and intellectual property protection”, “Computer technologies in pharmacy”.At lectures and practical classes students study drugs, methods of their synthesis and analysis, standardization, particulars of structure and action of modern drugs.